Manuscripts of Bhagavad Gita, Natyashastra inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita & Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra are now inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. | Photo Credit: X@gssjodhpur

Manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni's Natyashastra are among 74 new documentary heritage collections that have been added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register as of April 17, bringing the total number of inscribed collections to 570.

Entries on the Scientific Revolution, women's contribution to history and major milestones of multilateralism from 72 countries and four international organisations were included in the register, according to UNESCO.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X on Friday (April 18, 2025), described the inscriptions as "a proud moment for every Indian across the world".

"The inclusion of the Gita and Natyashastra in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register is a global recognition of our timeless wisdom and rich culture. The Gita and Natyashastra have nurtured civilisation, and consciousness for centuries. Their insights continue to inspire the world," he said.

Natyashastra is considered a seminal text on performing arts.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also took to X saying this was a "historic moment for Bharat's civilisational heritage".

“This global honour celebrates India’s eternal wisdom and artistic genius,” he said.

"These timeless works are more than literary treasures—they are philosophical and aesthetic foundations that have shaped Bharat's worldview and the way we think, feel, live, and express. With this, we now have 14 inscriptions from our country on this international register," the Minister posted and also shared some images of the two texts.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.